At the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Maine, Gorham Middle School’s (GMS) technology integrator, Terri Dawson, saw a story about a young man from Canada who had 3D printed ear protectors for his local hospital. She decided she could do the same.

“At that moment, I searched for a file that existed to start printing right away,” said Dawson. “I found it was super fast and easy to print such an important comfort item for essential workers so I decided to enlist the GMS staff to see if anyone would be willing to help.”

In addition to teachers, Dawson asked GMS students if they had a printer at home to help print.

“I’m very passionate about bringing STEM lessons and opportunities to our students in Gorham and I’m always looking for some new way to connect learning and technology,” said Dawson.

She received feedback from some of her iTeam members who confirmed that they would love to help if they could access 3D printers at home. Hearing that, GMS teachers generously lent out their printers to students who were interested in helping and it was then that Dawson asked Superintendent Heather Perry if the district could buy more.

Perry agreed to purchase three, and GMS alternative education teacher Heather Whitaker offered to purchase two more from her budget so her students could participate.

It takes about 25 minutes to print one ear protector on the printer that Dawson uses. Students who are printing protectors at home drop off their finished prints at GMS and pick up a spool of filament if they need it to print more. It costs about .10 cents per ear protector to print. Each spool of filament can print about 230 ear protectors.

The district currently has 13 students making ear protectors: John Copperberg (6th), William Armstrong (8th), Dylan Bauer (8th), Tim Curtis, face shields and ear protectors (7th), Christopher Chesbro, face shields and ear protectors (7th), Riley McCallister (6th), Liam Mack (6th), Hunter Pellegrin (10th), Brendan Anctil (8th), Matt Ladd (8th), Ryker Spear (8th), Colby Wheaton (8th), Jack Mesires (5th), Finn Henderson (7th), and Lucy Orlando (7th). Eighth-grade students Dylan Phillips, Meghan Irish, and Amy Morin are waiting for printers to come in so they can also start printing at home.

Staff members are also involved in the at-home printing project. They include Michael McCarthy, Gregg Sands, Terri Dawson, Angela Gospodarek, Beth Kellogg, Elizabeth Orlando, Aaron Ouellet, and Joanne Gauley.

Dawson has begun distribution efforts to relatives of staff and friends that are on the front lines of the COVID-19 virus. As of a few weeks ago, the group had donated 50 to Maine Medical Center and 130 to Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC, which was transported by a pediatric nurse from Maine that will be stationed there for nine weeks.

“The goal is to provide some comfort for essential workers,” said Dawson. “We are getting requests every day to provide them and our distribution list is getting longer. I am in the process of sending some to the Scarborough Veterans Home that has been identified with so many patients. Gorham Rescue just contacted me for some as well.”

Dawson said they will provide them anywhere they feel they will be valuable as long as their filament funds last. If interested in helping this cause, Dawson set up a GoFundMe page to help support the filament fund.